Beowulf

Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes; fathered a famous boy, Beow. His heir,
Halfdane, had 4 sons: Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga and a daughter - who was Onela's
queen in Sweede. Hrothgar made Heorot. Grendel, a demon, attacked Heorot and
killed people; he was from Cains clan . The Danes turn for help from heathen
(neopagan) gods. At the court of King Hygeleac, a Geat warrior prepares to help
Hrothgar- Beowulf- "We belong by birth to the Geat people and owe allegiance to
Lord Hygelac. We are retainers from Hygelac's band.
Hrethel the Geat gave Ecgtheow his daughter in marriage.
Beowulf = a thane, surrounded by thanes; Hygelac's kinsman,one of his hall-troop; I
have suffered extremes and avenged the Geats; He renounces the use of his
weapons
Hrotghar says- Beowulf,I adopt you in my heart as a dear son.
The kings poet tells another story about Hilderbuh (Hocs daughter), a dannish
princess married to a Frisian king Finn (son of Focwald) , loses her son and her
brother Hnaef in a fight at Finns hail. Hengest, who takes charge after Hnaef is
killed, attacks Finn, Finn has to offer a truce- throne shared between Frisians (and
the Frisians allies, the Jutes) and Danes. The Danes are exiled a winter; they feel
homesick and resentful. Danish warriors spur themselves to renew the feud, Finn is
killed, his stronghoald looted, his widow, Hilderburh, carried back to Denmark.

Hrethric, Hrothmund, and Freawaru are the children of King Hrothgar and Queen
Wealhtheow of the Spear-Danes. Hrethric and Hrothmund are young princes and
neither of them is yet ready to succeed their father as king, which makes their
mother worry that Beowulf might try to usurp the throne from them.
Hrothulf- The orphaned son of Hrothgar's sister
Wealhtheow- Queen of the Spear-Danes and wife of King Hrothgar, appears briefly
in Beowulf as the mistress of Heorot Hall.
Unferth, (son of Ecglaf ) a jealous warrior in the tribe of the Spear-Danes, challenges
Beowulf's boasts and claims about himself. When Beowulf shows up ready to fight
Grendel, Unferth tells a story he's heard about Beowulf's swimming contest with
Breca, suggesting that Beowulf lost that competition.
Ecgtheow, Beowulf's father, once found himself in a blood-feud with the tribe called
the Wulfings because he had killed a man named Heatholaf. Ecgtheow sought
refuge with King Hrothgar of the Danes, who eventually "healed the feud by paying"
Halfdane, one of the kings of the Spear-Danes, is the grandson of Shield Sheafson.
He is also the father of Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, and a daughter who marries
Onela the Swede.
Hrethel- the son or son-in-law of Swerting ;had three sons Hcyn, Herebeald and
Hygelac. He also had a daughter who married Ecgeow and had the son Beowulf.

Hygelac, -the king of the Geats, grandson of Swerting, is Beowulf's lord, uncle and
ring-giver
Wulfgar- Wendel chief
Ecgthoew- Beowulfs father
Bright-Danes- another name for the Scyldings, the reference to shining light.
Scyldings, the tribe of Scyld Scefing.
the prince of the Shieldings Hrothgar
Sigemund- the Dragon-Slayer Fitela, his nephew.
WHAT THE HELL?
An embossed ridge, a band lapped with wire
arched over the helmet: head-protection
to keep the keen-ground cutting edge
from damaging it when danger threatened
and the man was battling behind his shield.